Retirement age controversial: Construction workers speak out against later retirement

Retirement age controversial: Construction workers speak out against later retirement

The FDP's pension plans raise questions, especially for construction workers like Klaus Brunken, foreman in Krefeld and deputy district chairman of IG Bau Duisburg-Niederrhein. Brunken emphasizes that physical work on construction sites becomes increasingly difficult after a certain age. With increasing age, health problems such as pain in the shoulders, back and knees increase, forcing many construction workers to retire early. This leads to deductions and lower pension entitlements, which can lead to financial restrictions in old age.

The FDP's pension plans envisage abolishing the “pension at 63” and instead considering a later retirement age, possibly up to a pension at 72. This is met with incomprehension by trade unionists like Brunken, as they see this as a pension cut. Many employees, especially in the construction industry, have doubts about working until normal retirement age. According to a survey by the Hans Böckler Foundation, almost 40 percent of workers cannot imagine holding out until retirement age.

The average retirement age of Germans is currently 64.4 years, which is still well below the target of 66 years. A study by the University of Wuppertal shows that 68 percent of older employees want to retire by the age of 64 at the latest. This also raises questions about future labor shortages on construction sites, as an aging workforce will retire in the next decade and may be difficult to replace.